Starfleet uniform (alternate reality 2250s)

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As early as 2255, Starfleet was using the same "red/gold/blue" shirt design which in the prime reality was not introduced until at least 2266. The rank insignia had also changed slightly, consisting of silver bands on the sleeve, but with a thinner secondary band, rather than the previously used "hashmarks", for the ranks of lieutenant commander and captain.

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The duty uniform consisted of a black undershirt, and a colored overshirt featuring the officer's division color and the Starfleet insignia. Rank stripes were displayed on the sleeves. Charcoal grey pants and boots were issued with the uniform. (Star Trek, Star Trek Into Darkness)

Female officers could wear either a uniform similar to the standard male uniform or alternatively short-skirted uniform not dissimilar from the prime universe equivalent - which itself had two variations, one with no sleeves and one with full sleeves. Without the sleeves however, these dresses did not display the rankings of each officer on them. (Star Trek, Star Trek Into Darkness)

Introduced in 2259, these gray overalls were worn on shuttles. They had transparent yokes to show the division color, and the insignia was emblazoned on the upper arms. They could not be worn with the uniform skirt. (Star Trek Into Darkness)

For use beneath their uniforms, Starfleet personnel had at their disposal specific undergarments. This underwear was a dark blue/green. (Star Trek Into Darkness)

In designing Carol Marcus' underwear for Star Trek Into Darkness, Michael Kaplan was careful not to make her undergarments too unusual-looking. He said of the clothing, "“After trying my hand at reinventing the bra, the results were so distracting that the intent of the scene would have been missed." [1]

The flag officer uniform was a two-piece outfit with dark gray pants and a white and dark gray flared jacket featuring a high collar. Rank was shown by both epaulets and sleeve stripes, and a gold Starfleet Command pin was worn on the chest.

For formal gatherings, Starfleet personnel wore gray or brown uniforms with high collars accompanied by a traditional peaked cap with the Starfleet emblem. Rank insignia was displayed by the standard stripes on the cuffs and by black lozenges on the shoulders, the number of shoulder device corresponded to the pip system that was seen used on the uniforms from the 2150s. (Star Trek Into Darkness)

This EV suit was equipped with a parachute for orbital skydiving missions. The suit was available in all three division colors with a Starfleet insignia displayed prominently in the center of the chest piece and featured breathing equipment, including a helmet, for use outside of Class M environments. A communicator was placed in the left glove. (Star Trek)

For Spock's environmental suit, Kaplan used copper because he thought it was a beautiful color, but he had never seen a copper spacesuit in a film. He did acknowledge that in reality, the metal would be ineffective against heat.

Wetsuits came in two varieties: male crewmembers wore grey wetsuits with division colored piping, while female crewmembers wore designs with reversed colors (the primary color matching their division assignment; grey piping). The suits were also adorned with the same Starfleet insignia pattern as the regular duty uniforms.

These uniforms were equipped with engines placed on the ankles to propel the user through water at high speeds. (Star Trek Into Darkness)

Kaplan explained the wetsuits were difficult because "I wanted all custom colours, but we looked and they just didn't exist, so we ended up dyeing them, and through a lot of trial and error we found dyes that would work. Zoe Saldana looked pretty stunning in her red wetsuit, JJ's favourite costume. It was a big success putting her in a red wetsuit."[3]

While training on the Kobayashi Maru simulator at Starfleet Academy, cadets wore a simple blue-gray jumpsuit with the Starfleet insignia stenciled on the left chest, with no rank or class insignia. (Star Trek)

Starfleet Academy cadets and junior officers (ranked Ensign, Lieutenant, and Lieutenant Commander) wore a red jumpsuit and jacket with a stand collar over a red turtleneck-like sweater; men wore pants while women wore skirts. On both male and female designs, the Starfleet insignia was displayed prominently on the collar of the jacket. On some occasions, cadets wore a red cap with the uniform. (Star Trek)

While the Federation-emblem caps are only shown briefly in the film itself, footage from the DVD's gag reel includes a shot of three extras in these uniforms, in which the UFP crest is clearly visible.

The insignia used in the 2250s consisted of silver bands worn on the lower sleeve of the uniforms of line officers, or gold bands for flag officers. Enlisted personnel and officers holding the rank of ensign wore no rank insignia.

Rank on dress uniforms was indicated with epaulettes on their shoulders: ranging from one pin for ensigns, to five for admirals.

Female officers wearing dresses have no way to convey their ranks, which is potentially very problematic.

The uniforms seen in the films Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness were designed by Michael Kaplan. They are quite different from the pilot uniforms seen in "The Cage" and "Where No Man Has Gone Before". It can be assumed that Nero's time tampering had something to do with the shift, although the real-life explanation is that the uniforms seen in Star Trek were intended to associate the audience with the much more familiar Original Series uniforms seen through the late 1960s, in contrast to the pilot uniforms, which were only seen in two episodes. A similar situation arose in "Friday's Child" where Leonard McCoy is shown in a flashback video wearing an Enterprise tunic whereas, historically, he should have been wearing an earlier pilot episode uniform. The filmmakers expressed surprise in Star Trek - The Art of the Film that the classic uniforms were never used in a film.

Kaplan explained that he selected red for the dress uniforms because of the strong patriotic feel the color gave. (Star Trek - The Art of the Film) In Into Darkness, Kaplan noted "There are a lot of high-powered meetings with Kirk and officers, and I wanted to add a level of sophistication, where – like any military service uniform – there would be different parts. So they now have dress uniforms, and shuttle suits, which they travel in."[4]